I. Field
This invention relates to neck support devices.
II. Background
The human spine comprises several regions. The cervical region corresponds to the neck and has a natural curvature. This curvature is lordotic, meaning that it is concave dorsally. The cervical lordotic curve is also known as a “C” curve. Positioning the head in a perpendicularly to the shoulders helps maintain a healthy C curve. Bending the cervical spine, especially for prolonged periods, is considered poor posture. Poor posture can lead to negative health and wellness effects, the more minor of which may include headaches, discomfort, muscle cramps, neck pain, and shoulder pain. Maintaining proper posture is often difficult during certain activities, such as, for example, resting, reading, watching television or movies, using a computer, traveling on an airplane or in a vehicle, or remaining in a static position for a prolonged period. Though muscles can help stabilize the cervical spine, they sometimes have a reduced capacity to do so, such as during sleep or rest, or as a result of muscular conditions (e.g., atrophy). As an example, an airplane traveler may wish to sleep or rest on a long flight, but may be restricted to the seated position. In this example, the traveler may experience difficulty finding a comfortable position or may experience negative effects as a result of improper neck positioning during sleep or rest. Thus, there is a need for a device that helps maintain proper neck posture.
Currently, there are numerous neck support items available. The two primary types of neck-specific pillows include a neck collar shaped like a horseshoe and a cervical neck pillow. Each offers specific attention to the neck, while providing support in different ways. The horseshoe collar is intended for use while seated. The cervical neck pillow is intended for use while prone and provides a contoured pillow with a cradle for the head. Other neck support devices are found to be flimsy, insufficiently supportive, and uncomfortable. Thus, there is a need for a neck support device which is not flimsy, but is supportive and comfortable.
None of these neck support items is adjustable and customizable for the user's comfort and support. Instead, the items provide a one-size-fits-all solution. For example, a horseshoe collar is not adjustable for the length of the user's neck or desired position of support. Neither is the point of support adjustable; the horseshoe collar provides support principally along the jaw and base of the skull. If the user prefers to choose the location of support, the existing devices are inadequate. Thus, there is a need for an adjustable, customizable, and supportive neck support item.
Further, none of the neck support items available is easily collapsible or packable. Such a concern is especially relevant to those who use such devices while traveling. Contoured pillows often contain foams or stiff filling that resists compression. Horseshoe collars have similar problems. While some horseshoe collars comprise an inflatable bladder, such devices entail problems of their own. For example, users with a reduced lung capacity or reduced lung health may have difficulty inflating such devices. Further, the process of inflating and deflating the devices is an inconvenient step that reduces the collapsibility and packability of the device. Thus, there is a need for a portable, collapsible, or packable neck support item.
Neither horseshoe collars nor cervical neck collars provide support in the forward direction. That is, neither type of neck support item prevents the user's head from tilting forward, which may happen naturally such as during sleep while seated. Similarly, the user's head is prone to wobbling. Thus, there is a need for a neck support item that prevents the user's head from unintentionally tilting forward or wobbling.
The above problems, and others, are reduced by the invention as herein described and shown.